


Long Strange Nights

by CR Noble (erudite12)



Category: Loki - Fandom, Marvel, The Avengers
Genre: F/M, Loki Odinson - Freeform, Loki of Asgard - Freeform, loki laufeyson - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-02-20
Updated: 2016-02-29
Packaged: 2018-05-22 00:11:33
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 5,403
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6063405
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/erudite12/pseuds/CR%20Noble
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The lead singer of an up and coming rock band from Richmond meets a stranger after one of her shows. He calls himself Loki, she learns that she possesses a strange magic, and her life is changed forever.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

Prologue

Cassandra

                Cassandra sat in white director’s chair in front of a large vanity putting her makeup on. Unlike most women who were in early stage rock bands, she did not use black lipstick and eyeshadow. She had decided long ago that was far too generic for her. Instead, she adorned the lids of her hazel eyes with a lush royal purple and opted for an almost transparent pink lip gloss. The lip gloss wouldn’t really matter anyway, halfway through the show it would be gone and her lips would return to their usual pale pink. She had styled her hair into a punky faux hawk which had required a lot of hot rollers and a couple hours to get it all right.

                Now that all that was done, she pulled on a pair of black skinny jeans with buckles running down the outside of each leg, and a royal purple velvet corset. She wore barely any jewelry, only a heart shaped pendant her mother had given her when she was sixteen. After pulling her knee high leather boots onto her feet, she snatched her car keys from the table beside the front door and walked out to her car, ready to head to the show.

                When she arrived at The Canal Club, Cassandra felt an outbreak of excited nerves. This would be the biggest venue Twyst3d had played so far. She walked through the backstage door and found her fellow band members, a tall skinny bass player named Matt, the dark haired, stocky drummer Mitchell, and the twin guitarists, ironically named Harmony and Melody. They were all nervous, and they were getting ready to set up for the show, so Cassandra reassured everyone that they would be fantastic and helped unpack and set up the equipment.

Loki

                Loki had commandeered an outdoor table, and he sat watching the sun set over the James River, reminded that even in as ugly a place as Midgard, some beauty remained. He could not place a finger on what had brought him to this place, but something was drawing him to it. Whatever that thing was, it was very near now. He was waiting patiently to feel the call again, and as the sun dipped below the horizon, he did feel it. He got to his feet and strode toward the entry to The Canal Club.


	2. The Calling

Chapter 2: The Calling

Loki

                Loki stood in the back of the Canal Club behind a crowd of people who were completely entranced by the bands performance. He watched the band play and thought it intriguing that the crowd was so enamored by them. The performance was certainly good, he gave them that, but it did not seem to him enough to be so mesmerizing. The crowd cheered and clapped as the song ended, and quieted as a new one began.

                Loki did not understand what could possibly be pulling him to this place, where nothing remarkable seemed to be occurring. Yet, he still felt the pull. As the band on stage started to sing a ballad about love lost, Loki began to focus on the singer, with her bright hazel eyes and pale skin. He found himself listening intently as an angelic voice spilled from her lips. The pull grew stronger as she sang, and Loki soon found himself as entranced by her as the rest of the crowd. He took a few unconscious steps toward the stage. The angelic singer turned toward the movement and their eyes locked. The calling, Loki realized, was coming from this woman. Her voice held power, and her intense gaze on him only intensified the pull. What sort of magic was she working on these people, on him?

Cassandra

                How could anyone’s eyes be so intensely green, Cassandra wondered as she sang. He was all the way in the back of the club, mired in darkness so she could barely see his face, but she could see his eyes. They were the brightest green she had ever seen, and they looked straight back into hers with some unknown question in them. The song suddenly intensified and she felt as though she were singing only for him. She couldn’t look away from him, it was the strangest thing. She finished the last song of the set, and he finally broke eye contact. When he did, Cassandra felt it as a loss.

                After going backstage for a few minutes, still wondering about the green eyed stranger, she shook herself. I need a drink, she thought, and walked out to the bar. As always, the fans who still lingered after the show came up to her and told her how wonderful their performance had been. She could see her bandmates sitting at a circular table with fans all around them, she decided she would sit at the bar.

                “You have the voice of an angel,” said an accented voice from behind her. She turned, expecting just another fan to be waiting to talk to her in person, and caught her breath when she found herself looking into those green eyes once again.

                “Thank you,” Cassandra said, only a little shakily. This man that stood before her was taller than her, which was rare with her 5’ 10” frame, with pale skin and prominent cheek bones. His long black hair danced across his shoulders as he moved to sit next to her at the bar. He was the most beautiful creature she had ever laid eyes on. “I’m glad you enjoyed the show.”

                “Yes, I found it quite enchanting,” he replied. Whatever question had been in his eyes before, she saw it was still there. Something started to needle at the back of her mind. She knew she had never seen this man before, but he seemed so familiar all of a sudden. “May I buy you a drink?” Cassandra acquiesced with a nod, and when the bartender came over, she asked for a Jamison on the rocks, while this familiar stranger asked for a cider.

                “I’m sorry, but do I know you?” she blurted out. “That is to say, have we met before? At a show or something, maybe?”

Loki

                Loki watched this woman sip her cold whiskey, and said, “Not that I am aware of, my darling. This is my first time seeing your band perform.” He smiled, wishing that he could dispense with the pleasantries and ask her what he really wanted to know.

                “Oh, well. My name is Cassandra Spencer,” the girl said, offering her hand. Loki grasped it in his and shook once. He thought she was very attractive, in her Midgardian way. Her obviously long locks were curled and teased up into a style he recalled was called a fauxhawk, and her skin was milky with the slightest blush of pink across her cheekbones. He wondered if he should tell her his name, or wait and see if she was intelligent enough to come to it on her own. She stared at him, as though waiting for something. He dropped her hand.

                “My name is, eh, James,” he said. She nodded and said something about how nice it was to meet him. Why had he lied about his name? She would figure it out eventually, if she was worth anything.

                “So, I’m guessing you are new to Richmond?”

                “Oh, yes. Quite new,” he said. He wondered how much longer this boringly pleasant drivel would have to go on before he could ask her what sort of spell she was using that could call on Gods. She asked him questions about himself, which he obligingly made up falsehoods for, and in return asked similar questions of her. They had many more drinks, and when it was announced that it was last call, Loki looked at Cassandra and asked, “may I escort you home?” She nodded, and grabbed a jacket, following Loki out the door.

Cassandra

                As she followed James from the club, she mulled it over in her head. Where do I recognize him from? She couldn’t remember having met him at one of her shows, and he had said as much. They walked down city streets making pleasant small talk, until Cassandra realized that they were not heading in the direction of her apartment. She must have given him the wrong impression, what with all the drinks and conversing with hi, almost to the exclusion of all others at the bar. It’s not that she didn’t find him attractive, she just wasn’t the kind of girl who went home with a man she had just met in a bar. She glanced sideways at him. He was looking forward, and a streetlight played a shadow across the side of his face. She stopped short, realization dawning.

                “What is it, darling?” he said, stopping to turn and look at her. She backed away a step.

                “Your name is not James.” She took another step back. He gazed at her knowingly.

                “Say it,” he said, looking down at her intently.

                “You are Loki,” Cassandra breathed. “That’s how I know you. From all the News coverage from New York. Why are you here? What do you want with me?” She retreated yet another step, heart pounding in her ears, adrenaline rushing into her blood. She wanted to run, but knew that would be futile.

                “I am here because you called me. I want to know how.”


	3. Questions

Chapter 3: Questions

Cassandra

                “I didn’t call you!” Cassandra exclaimed, taking one more step back. “How could I have done that? I don’t even know you! I have no reason to call you!”

                Loki raised his hands in a placating gesture and took a small step toward her. Cassandra felt her breaths quicken in her chest as adrenaline starting to pump its way through her blood.

                “I do not know how you called,” Loki said, his green eyes boring into Cassandra’s face. “I am here to find that out.” He took another step toward her, and she found herself frozen. She should be running, but his intense gaze held her fast. He reached toward her and she flinched, but could not make herself move. “I have no harmful intentions. I only wish to learn what magic you have that has pulled me to this place.”

                “That’s ridiculous. I don’t have magic,” she said. “That’s impossible.” Loki grabbed Cassandra’s hand, and somehow that calmed her considerably, but she still could not make herself move or look away from him. “How could this be happening to me?”

                “I do not know,” Loki said. “But it is very possible, and in fact, currently happening. There is magic in you, girl, and I intend to determine the extent of your power.”

Loki

                Loki stared into Cassandra’s hazel eyes as he held her hand, willing her to be calm. She did not seem to have an answer to his statement yet, but he could see that her mind was racing, trying to comprehend the situation at hand. He found it interesting that she did not appear to know anything of the magic she worked. Considering that fact, he found it intensely unusual that she had worked a magic powerful enough to bring him to Midgard without even knowing it. He simply waited for Cassandra to determine what would be the proper response to his statement.

                “What do you have to do to figure it out?” she finally said, still wary of him. He watched her face, thinking about how to answer her question. There were certainly many ways to investigate this particular girl and the strange magic that he had never encountered before. Some of them were quite… unsavory, and he had meant it when he said that he had no intention of harming her. After all, if she was a powerful as Loki thought, Cassandra might prove quite useful to him.

                “I am not sure,” he answered. “I know only that it has something to do with that angelic voice of yours.” He turned to start walking again and gently guided Cassandra to walk with him. “I suppose we will have to begin with determining whether your spells are done only while singing or if you can work them while speaking as well.” He glanced down at her, but she wasn’t looking in his direction. Her face looked troubled, and deep in thought, and for the first time, Loki saw that she was quite beautiful. Her hair had started to come loose and some of it was framing her face. Her eyes were large, deep set almonds, and one could have gotten lost in their hazel depths. Her nose had an almost imperceptible crook in the bridge, like she had broken it when she was a child. Her lips were full and pink, and she had a large mouth; if she smiled it would fill her face.

                “I have your word that you will not harm me?” Cassandra suddenly asked him. “Although I am not sure how good your word is, especially since you are the God of Lies.” She stopped short when she said it, and looked up at him with a determined face. He stood quietly under her examination as she searched his features for something, he wasn’t sure what. “To be honest, my mind says that I should run from you, far and fast, but some instinct is telling me that if you give me your word, you will not break it.”

                “I give you my word that no harm will come to you while we are searching for the source of your power.” He had phrased it in such a way that if he decided when they were finished that she was a threat, he would not be breaking his word if he killed her.

Cassandra

                Cassandra heard the statement for exactly what it was. Loki was vastly underestimating her intelligence. She decided to let him think she did not understand his intent. She simply nodded and started walking again. They walked in silence for a while when Cassandra realized that she was still holding Loki’s hand.

                “So, where are we going?” she said, removing her hand from his and putting it in her pocket. She looked up at him, and the corner of his lips twitched into a half smile. He did not answer, apparently he either didn’t want her to know, or he didn’t know himself. Cassandra suspected it was the former. She continued to watch his face as they walked, and found herself admiring the line of his jaw and his prominent cheekbones. He was very handsome, and she found herself wondering if that was manufactured. It was certainly easier to trust someone who was attractive. She looked forward again, and wondered about this supposed magic.

                If she had magic, what had made her call someone like Loki to her? She didn’t understand it, and thought that perhaps she wouldn’t ever be able to comprehend it. Perhaps her magic had called to him because it knew he would be able to figure out what it was and how she made it happen. It really was all too much to take in after a long show and so many drinks. She looked around at their surroundings and gasped when she realized that she had been so deep in thought, she hadn’t noticed the change in scenery. She wasn’t in Richmond anymore.


	4. Beginnings

Chapter 4: Beginnings

Cassandra

                “Where are we?” Cassandra asked, wondering to herself how she hadn’t noticed the change in scenery. They were still in a city, but definitely not Richmond. She glanced at Loki and saw the half smile on his face. Apparently he found her confusion amusing.

                “I am not going to tell you,” Loki said, “at least not yet. Can’t have you running off on me.” He winked at her playfully. She bristled a bit at this. Why would he think she might run away? She wouldn’t have gone with him in the first place if she hadn’t wanted to figure out whatever this magic was. Or would she have? She honestly didn’t know why she had agreed to go with him in the first place.

                “Okay,” she said, “I’m not planning on running anywhere. I want to learn about this magic or whatever that I have. And, you know, I am obviously insane because I really have no interest in running away from a psychotic mass murderer.” She smirked at the last, but when Loki’s expression darkened and his smile faded, she regretted saying it. “Sorry, I shouldn’t have said that.”

                “No, but I can see how one might see me in that light,” Loki replied through gritted teeth. She thought he sounded bitter, though she wasn’t sure if it was because of her statement or the events that had taken place in New York.

                “So, you have obviously taken me somewhere other than Richmond,” Cassandra said. “How am I supposed to get the things I need from my home?”

                “What do you need?”

                “Well, clothes, for one thing. My toothbrush, things like that. And my laptop. And I really hope that wherever you are taking me has wifi.”

                “I can get those things for you.” He put his hand against the small of her back and guided her into a building that looked like an abandoned warehouse. Once inside, Cassandra stopped short to look around. This is where a god spends his time? There was very little light, and the air was damp and chilled. There were cobwebs and dust everywhere, and the only furniture she could see was a large conference table and a few dilapidated chairs.

                “Um, where exactly are you expecting me to do anything here?” she asked. “I mean, I assume that I am going to be stuck here for some time, with you being afraid I might run off. There isn’t even anywhere for me to sleep.”

Loki

                Loki smiled and bit back a laugh at the question. He let her take in the surroundings for a moment longer before he said, “This is an illusion. That is one of my gifts. You see, you really can’t be sure that anything you have seen since we met was real.” He smiled again. He could almost feel her heart jump into her delicate throat when he said that. He snapped his fingers and the illusion melted into what looked like a large studio apartment. There was a large living area with a couch and chair around a coffee table that sat in front of a large fireplace. To the left of the living area, there was a kitchen with a bar, which had only two stools and beyond that, there was a large bed and dresser.

                “Well,” Cassandra finally said. “This is certainly proving to be an interesting endeavor.” She looked back at him, and he saw in her eyes that she was wary of him and her surroundings, but she was not afraid. It was odd, he thought. She seemed to accept everything that he told her, as though it made sense. Loki took off his black velvet duster and hung it on a coat rack near the door, and watched silently as his guest did the same. “How are you going to get my things? You don’t even know where I live.”

                “Well, obviously you will tell me where you live.” Cassandra walked over to the chair by the fireplace and slowly sat down. She looked at him, and waited for him to continue. When he simply sat down languorously on the couch and stared back at her, she began to speak again.

                “Obviously,” she said. “But my neighbors and I know each other well enough, and everyone with a television knows who you are. So, how are you going to get in and out of my apartment without anyone noticing?” Loki really found himself enjoying the company of this Midgardian girl and her snarky attitude.

Cassandra

                “It’s really quite simple,” Loki said and snapped his fingers. Cassandra drew a sharp breath. It was almost like looking in a mirror, she thought. He looked just like her, same face, same clothes, same hair, but it was still his smug smile that clung to her face. She smirked at him.

                “That is impressive, but you have my eye color wrong.” He seemed mildly dismayed at the comment, and when he blinked, the eyes changed color to match hers perfectly. “That is much better.” She momentarily wondered why she was okay with all of this. The apartment hadn’t really surprised her, and neither had his transformation into a perfect visage of her. She pushed the thought from her mind and reached into her jeans pocket for a piece of paper to write on. She pulled out a folded up receipt and decided it would have to do. “Do you have a pen?”

                “In the kitchen, first drawer on the left,” Loki said, in a perfect mimic of her voice. Now that was unnerving. But even as her mind told her she should fear this creature, she only found herself impressed further. She walked over to the kitchen and grabbed the pen, writing her address and a quick list of items that she needed from her home. She walked back over to Loki and handed him the paper. She watched as he read quickly over the list. “Is that all? It should not take me very long. Please, make yourself at home in my absence.” Then he simply disappeared.

                Cassandra sighed and sank into the chair again. What the hell am I doing? She wondered to herself. Now that she was alone, her mind really started processing everything that had happened through the evening. Why had she agreed to come with him? It was in her nature to be curious, but this was just reckless. She knew what he had done in New York City, at least what the media said he did. By all rights, she should be terrified and she should have run as fast and as far as she could from him. But would he really have allowed her to refuse? She didn’t think so, and she truly was curious about this magic stuff that Loki was talking about. Even though she thought it was crap, she still wanted to explore the idea that it could be the real deal.

                Sighing again, Cassandra stood and explored the apartment, checking to see if there was food in the refrigerator and being pleasantly surprised when it was full. She walked over to the fireplace, and built a fire using the wood from a stand set up to the right. When that was done, she went back into the kitchen and started cooking. It kept her focused on the now, and she found it very calming.

Loki

                Loki stood inside Cassandra’s apartment, pondering why he found this Midgardian woman so pleasant and intriguing. She struck him as unusual, not only because of her magical ability, but it seemed that she really feared very little. She had certainly been afraid at the moment she had discovered him for he was, but it really hadn’t taken much to calm her and convince her to go with him. This was certainly a new experience for Loki on Midgard.

                He picked up all of the things she had asked for and put them in a canvas bag. He searched cursorily through her apartment for anything she might have that would give some insight into her magical ability, but found nothing. He slung the canvas bag over his shoulder and snapped his fingers.

                Loki was back in his apartment, and he was engulfed by the most delicious smell. Cassandra was busy in the kitchen, he saw, and she hadn’t noticed him there yet. He watched her silently for a few moments as she scurried around the kitchen. He had a nagging thought in the back of his mind that this girl belonged there, in his home; cooking in his kitchen.

                “I have your things,” he said. Cassandra started and looked at him over her shoulder. He dropped the bag on the couch. She smiled brilliantly and went back to cooking. Loki slowly walked over and took one of the bar stools, bathing himself in the aroma of whatever she was cooking.

                “I was hungry,” Cassandra said, “and honestly, I needed to distract myself from my thoughts.” She glanced over her shoulder again as she stirred some concoction and smiled at him. “I don’t know what kind of food gods eat, or if you eat at all, but I made enough for two.”

                “I do eat. While I cannot speak for all gods, I certainly enjoy a good meal.”

                “Good,” Cassandra said, pulling two plates from a cabinet hanging from the wall above the countertop. She put a little bit of everything she had made on each plate, and then placed the one with more in front of him on the bar. She pulled up the chair next to him and sat down with her plate. They ate in silence until all of the food was gone, and Cassandra could not stop yawning.

                “I am impressed,” Loki said, finally. “You appear to have magic powerful enough to call on a god, an angel’s voice, and this meal was delicious.”

                “I must really be something special, if I have impressed a god,” Cassandra replied. “Thank you. Where am I sleeping? I can’t possibly be of anymore use tonight.”

                “You will share my bed. It is the easiest way for me to be sure that you aren’t going anywhere.” Cassandra shrugged and started digging through the bag until she found a tshirt. She took it and her toothbrush and walked into the bathroom. She came out five minutes later wearing just the tshirt, and Loki found himself staring at her. She was a lovely creature. She had let her hair down around her shoulders and her smooth, milky legs were long.

                Loki snapped himself out of that line of thought. He could not be finding this Midgardian woman arousing, he told himself. He walked over to his bed and stripped off the button down shirt and trousers he had been wearing for most of the day and put on the soft velvet pants he typically slept in when on Midgard. Out of the corner of his eye, he caught Cassandra staring at him in much the same way he had been staring at her a few moments earlier, and he smirked inwardly. He climbed into his bed and Cassandra hesitated but followed suit, facing away from him as she lay down. He snapped his fingers and the lights went out.


	5. Dream On

Chapter 5: Dream On

Cassandra

                Cassandra slept next to Loki, soundly at first. As the night drew on, she started having dreams. At first, they weren’t so bad. Dreams of two boys, one dark haired and one light playing in a garden together, with a gleaming city behind them and a road that looked like a rainbow leading into the distance. But the dreams started to turn darker, first filled with resentment and feelings of unworthiness, and later to anger and hatred. But worst of all was the pain. It was searing, mind-numbing pain on an emotional and physical level that she couldn’t possible withstand.

                Decades of being locked away in a white room, the only time away from it spent within a room whose walls seemed to be covered in her own blood, layered over the blood of many others. It was a torture chamber, and no matter what she did she couldn’t escape this cycle of pain and loneliness. And yet, on some subconscious level, she knew that these were not her dreams. Still she could not escape them, and the cycle went on through the night.

Loki

                Loki started awake from his fitful sleep when he felt Cassandra writhing beside him. She was sweating, and her face was screwed up as though she was in some immense amount of pain.  He reached over to her shoulder and shook, but she did not wake. He shook more violently, and said her name, and though she did not wake, she calmed considerably. Her face relaxed, and in her sleep, she rolled toward him and reached out, as though she needed something to ground her. Instinctively, he pulled her against his chest, and her breathing began to slow as she fell into a more restful sleep.

                Loki did not fall asleep right away. Instead, he lay awake contemplating why he had felt the need to comfort her. This was not something he would normally be inclined to do with anyone, let alone a Midgardian girl. What was going on with him? Perhaps, he thought, I am simply tired. But it nagged him as he fell asleep. Something here was different, and he couldn’t quite find a name for it. Eventually, sleep overtook his jumbled thoughts, and he still held Cassandra tight to his chest.

Cassandra

                When Cassandra woke to the sun streaming in, she felt Loki’s warm breath against her ear. She wasn’t sure how it had happened, but his arm was wrapped tightly around her waist, holding her against his chest. His knee rested between hers and for just a short moment, she reveled in the intimate contact. She wasn’t sure why, but Loki holding her like this made her feel safe and at home.

                She sat up abruptly, eliciting a sleepy grumble from the god as his arm fell away from her. What was she thinking? She mentally shook herself, after all, she barely knew this guy. And what she did know wasn’t good. It was in fact, very bad. None of this made sense. Cassandra was quite literally sleeping next to a mass murderer, and yet she was not afraid. The very presence that should cause her concern was actually bringing her comfort. What the hell was going on with her?

                She looked down at him, and some odd memory of pain, the most awful pain sprang to her mind. It was so strong and so vivid that she gasped loudly and started panting. Loki’s eyes sprang open and he stared at her with concern. When she met his green eyes, she remembered. The dreams came back to her in a rush, and she couldn’t breathe for a moment. Loki was talking to her, asking her something but she couldn’t hear him. He wrapped her up in both arms and drew her face to his chest. As she breathed in his scent, like worn leather lain out in the sun, she started to slowly calm down. After several minutes, she finally heard Loki’s voice in her ear.

                “What happened?” he asked, softly. “Are you unwell?”

                “Last night,” Cassandra started, looking up at him. “I had these dreams. Well, they started out as dreams, but turned into nightmares. They were awful. And I remember feeling that they were somehow not my dreams.” She tucked her head back against his chest, willing to forget for the moment that she was in the arms of a killer. She told him about the nightmares, trying to spare the details as much as possible. She felt his body stiffen as she told him of the torture and the white cell, and she looked up at him, “What’s wrong?”

                “That is not possible,” he said, not offering further explanation, simply loosening his grip on her and shaking his head slightly.

                “I don’t understand what you mean. They were dreams, of course it was possible.”

                “No. They were not dreams.” Loki met her eyes, the look so intense it nearly knocked her back.

                “Of course they were, Loki. What are talking about?”

                “They were memories. They were my memories.” Cassandra just stared at him. She didn’t know what to say, couldn’t believe that was true. After feeling all of those things in her nightmares, her heart panged for him. She instinctively reached out and gently caressed his face.

                “Loki, I,” she started. “I’m so sorry. The pain you experienced. It’s enough to drive anyone mad.” She paused for a breath, trying to decide what to say. “I don’t know what to say.” The anguish in his eyes tore at her heart. He said nothing in response, and when she couldn’t think of anything else to say, she wrapped her arms around him and pulled him close, offering as much comfort as she was able, and knowing it would never be enough.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I know there really isn't anyone reading this at all. Which is ok I guess but I really think that my writing in this story is kind of awful. I have never written fanfiction before, so working with a character that I did not write is proving challenging. So, if anyone does read this, please feel free to give me any pointers. 
> 
> Given suggestions, I will do what I can to improve upon what I have written so far.

**Author's Note:**

> So, this is probably off to a not great start, but this is really my first attempt at writing any kind of fanfiction. I plan on trying to post new chapters daily, and after this, they will get longer, and certainly better.


End file.
